Latest news with #SergeHascoet
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Malay Mail
Ex-Ubisoft exec denies seeing harassment, admits ‘misplaced' sexual remarks in trial
BOBIGNY (France), June 4 — A former executive at French video game giant Ubisoft, on trial with two others for alleged sexual and psychological harassment of employees, denied on Tuesday witnessing any abuse in the office. Serge Hascoet, the company's former chief creative officer, said that he had been unaware of incidents that prompted several employees to complain of regular public humiliation and hazing. He said he never heard any sexist or homophobic remarks or insults, but after hours of questioning admitted making some 'misplaced' comments with sexual connotations to women employees. Overall, the atmosphere in Ubisoft's open-plan offices in the eastern Paris suburb of Montreuil was 'studious and focused on work', Hascoet insisted, although he said that 'water fights' did break out 'when it got hot'. Hascoet, in his 60s, is on trial with the company's former vice-president of editorial and creative services, Thomas Francois, and former game director Guillaume Patrux. All three were dismissed for serious misconduct following an internal inquiry in 2020, and all three deny the claims made against them. Francois is the focus of the most damning claims of systematic psychological and sexual harassment over years, including watching pornographic films in the office and commented on women employees' appearance. He allegedly forced one skirt-wearing employee to do a headstand and drew on her face with a felt-tip pen before forcing her to attend a meeting. Francois is additionally being prosecuted for an attempted sexual assault. Hascoet is accused of lewd behaviour and posing intrusive questions of a sexual nature, as well as racist comments and behaviour. Asked about the felt-pen allegation involving Francois, Hascoet said: 'I don't remember that episode at all.' When the court's judge asked about another incident, in which Hascet's company male assistant — known for selling drugs — brandished a knife to a woman employee, the ex-chief creative officer said 'I don't know' how the victim took the armed threat against her. In Monday's hearing, several women who worked under Hascoet testified that he made them run personal errands for him, including picking up his daughter from school. Hascoet said he was forced to give such orders because of lengthy meetings, and because his wife was suffering from incurable cancer. The trial runs to Friday. — AFP
Malay Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Malay Mail
Ubisoft's dark mode exposed: Former executives on trial in Paris for toxic work culture
PARIS, June 2 — Three former top executives from French video game giant Ubisoft, the maker of 'Assassin's Creed' and 'Far Cry', went on trial on Monday accused of psychologically and sexually harassing employees for years. The trial, to last until Friday, was supposed to be held in March but was adjourned after lawyers complained they received some documents too late. The industry has been scrutinised for years over its treatment of women and minorities in the workplace – and the way they are depicted in games. Ubisoft launched an internal inquiry in 2020 after anonymous testimonies emerged on social media accusing the company of a toxic work culture. Several senior executives later left the firm. The executive shake-up at Ubisoft was hailed by some as a #Metoo moment in the male-dominated video game publishing industry, which has faced criticism for misogynistic imagery often found in games. One of the accused, Serge Hascoet, resigned from his post as chief creative officer. The other two – Thomas 'Tommy' Francois, vice-president of editorial and creative services, and game director Guillaume Patrux – were dismissed for serious misconduct. All three men deny the claims. Hascoet and Francois arrived at the Bobigny court outside Paris on Monday morning. Employees had complained of regular public humiliation and hazing. Francois is the focus of the most damning claims of systematic psychological and sexual harassment at the company's offices in the eastern Paris suburb of Montreuil. Between January 2012 and July 2020, Francois is alleged to have often watched pornographic films in the open-plan office and commented on the appearance of female employees. Headstand in a skirt Francois was also accused of forcing a young employee he had just hired to do a headstand in the open-plan office while wearing a skirt. He is also accused of tying the same woman to a chair and putting her in an elevator, sending her to another floor. He also allegedly forced her to attend a work meeting after he painted her face with a felt-tip pen. In addition to the accusations of sexual and psychological harassment, Francois is being prosecuted for an attempted sexual assault when he tried to forcibly kiss a young employee during a Christmas party as she was held by other colleagues. According to an investigative report seen by AFP, Francois encouraged 'his subordinates to act in the same way'. Hascoet is accused of lewd behaviour and posing intrusive questions of a sexual nature, as well as racist comments and behaviour. Following deadly jihadist attacks in Paris in 2015, he allegedly asked a Muslim employee if she agreed with the ideas of the Islamic State group. The woman had her computer desktop background changed to images of bacon sandwiches and food was placed on her desk during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan. The third defendant, former game director Patrux, 39, has been accused of psychological harassment. Investigators spoke to dozens of witnesses during the probe, but 'many refused to file a complaint for fear of reactions from the video game community,' according to the report seen by AFP. — AFP
CTV News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
French court tries ex-bosses of Ubisoft over sex harassment
This Nov.3 2017 file photo shows the logo Ubisoft on a computer screen at the Paris Games Week in Paris. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Kamil Zihnioglu, File Paris, France — Three former top executives from French video game giant Ubisoft, the maker of 'Assassin's Creed' and 'Far Cry', went on trial on Monday accused of psychologically and sexually harassing employees for years. The trial, to last until Friday, was supposed to be held in March but was adjourned after lawyers complained they received some documents too late. The industry has been scrutinised for years over its treatment of women and minorities in the workplace -- and the way they are depicted in games. Ubisoft launched an internal inquiry in 2020 after anonymous testimonies emerged on social media accusing the company of a toxic work culture. Several senior executives later left the firm. The executive shake-up at Ubisoft was hailed by some as a #Metoo moment in the male-dominated video game publishing industry, which has faced criticism for misogynistic imagery often found in games. One of the accused, Serge Hascoet, resigned from his post as chief creative officer. The other two -- Thomas 'Tommy' Francois, vice-president of editorial and creative services, and game director Guillaume Patrux -- were dismissed for serious misconduct. All three men deny the claims. Hascoet and Francois arrived at the Bobigny court outside Paris on Monday morning. Employees had complained of regular public humiliation and hazing. Francois is the focus of the most damning claims of systematic psychological and sexual harassment at the company's offices in the eastern Paris suburb of Montreuil. Between January 2012 and July 2020, Francois is alleged to have often watched pornographic films in the open-plan office and commented on the appearance of female employees. Headstand in a skirt Francois was also accused of forcing a young employee he had just hired to do a headstand in the open-plan office while wearing a skirt. He is also accused of tying the same woman to a chair and putting her in an elevator, sending her to another floor. He also allegedly forced her to attend a work meeting after he painted her face with a felt-tip pen. In addition to the accusations of sexual and psychological harassment, Francois is being prosecuted for an attempted sexual assault when he tried to forcibly kiss a young employee during a Christmas party as she was held by other colleagues. According to an investigative report seen by AFP, Francois encouraged 'his subordinates to act in the same way'. Hascoet is accused of lewd behaviour and posing intrusive questions of a sexual nature, as well as racist comments and behaviour. Following deadly jihadist attacks in Paris in 2015, he allegedly asked a Muslim employee if she agreed with the ideas of the Islamic State group. The woman had her computer desktop background changed to images of bacon sandwiches and food was placed on her desk during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan. The third defendant, former game director Patrux, 39, has been accused of psychological harassment. Investigators spoke to dozens of witnesses during the probe, but 'many refused to file a complaint for fear of reactions from the video game community,' according to the report seen by AFP. Written by Amelie Baron
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Games industry still a hostile environment for many women
Five years on from a first wave of harassment scandals that rocked the world of gaming, multiple women working in the industry tell AFP they have seen or experienced sexism in the workplace, fearing economic hardship in the sector will lead to backsliding. "I have experienced circumstances of harassment, circumstances of disrespect, belittling, and even to the point of... getting shut down," said Elaine Gomez, 34, a freelance developer from New Jersey. Big names in gaming such as France's Ubisoft (publisher of the "Assassin's Creed" saga) or US-based Activision Blizzard ("Call of Duty") have seen women come forward about sexist behaviour in the workplace in recent years. Three former senior Ubisoft executives will face trial in France over harassment allegations in June. Two of them have already been fired for serious misconduct, while the group's onetime number two, former creative director Serge Hascoet, resigned. Ubisoft told AFP it has "changed our HR organisation and misconduct handling processes". Among these was "creating a specialised employee relations team dedicated to helping prevent and resolve incidents". For its part, Activision Blizzard did not respond to AFP's questions about anti-harassment measures by time of publication. "For all kinds of sexist behaviour, there's still work to do in prevention and raising awareness," said one harassment specialist at a major French studio who asked to remain anonymous. - 'Tip of the iceberg' - The specialist said she had seen employees come to her only "four or five times" in the space of a year, all of them concerning sexist incidents. But that represents "the tip of a much bigger iceberg", she believes. Many women dare not speak up in an industry that remains largely dominated by men. Although women accounted for around half of gamers worldwide in 2023, according to gaming data specialists Newzoo, they made up only around one-quarter of studio staff according to the Women in Games collective. Game development employs more than 110,000 people in Europe, 105,000 people in the United States and 35,000 in Canada, according to the European Games Developer Federation (EGDF), the US Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and Canada's trade body. "Things have got better," said Morgane Falaize, who heads Women in Games' French chapter. She points to the growth of women employees from just 15 percent in 2018 to 24 percent in 2023 in the country. The overall figure does mask imbalances in different departments, with women close to half of marketing and communications staff but less than 10 percent in so-called "technical" jobs like game design and coding. Among managers, the proportion of women was just 20 percent in 2022. "It's not that we don't want women, it's that there are no female candidates" for senior roles, said Marianne Barousse, who runs a 200-strong team at mobile games developer Gameloft in Montreal. "I myself have been the victim of sexism from an employee who had trouble taking orders from a woman," said Emma Delage, 35, head of independent game studio Camelia in southern French city Montpellier. Delage added that she now imposes "zero tolerance" for sexism. She remembered being compared to a prostitute when soliciting potential investors for an upcoming game -- a comparison she was "not sure that male people who have raised money have faced". In those same meetings with funders, "we're taken less seriously than men," said Marie Marquet, co-founder of French studio Splashteam, who has frequently encountered potential backers more comfortable addressing her male business partner in meetings. "Investors are reluctant to put money into businesses run by women," said Tanya X. Short, head of Montreal-based independent studio Kitfox Games. The Canadian city, a global hub for games development, was also at the heart of the scandal that hit Ubisoft in summer 2020. Employees at the French group's Montreal studio said they endured a "climate of terror" stemming from sexist behaviour and discrimination. "There are people in the industry who are still struggling to adjust, it's palpable," said Marie Marquet. But she saw hope in the "new generations" coming up in game development. - 'Survival instinct' - More immediately, the sugar rush stemming from coronavirus lockdowns has given way to an economic crisis that could sweep away some of the progress made on games industry sexism in recent years. "There's almost no jobs being advertised any more," said one woman working at a Paris games studio, speaking on condition of anonymity. "If I open my mouth too far and it backfires, there's no fallback". As the industry endures hard times, "women are over-represented in jobs at the bottom of the hierarchical ladder" and therefore often first in line when companies slash positions, said Thomas Rodriguez, a spokesman for French games industry union STJV. Belt-tightening at major groups could also mean less resources for diversity efforts, often targeted by the most conservative fringes of gamers on social networks like X. New Jersey-based Gomez said she was troubled by the rolling up of jobs and departments dealing with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the United States. Still a relatively compact industry -- employing just 12-15,000 people in France, for example -- games development is "a small world" where speaking out can ruin a reputation, Women in Games' Falaize said. "I've already been told 'careful what you do, because I can get you blacklisted," said Marquet. "Most women don't want to cause trouble" in the gaming industry, said one 29-year-old independent developer, speaking on condition of anonymity. "It's a kind of survival instinct for us," the woman added. She said she herself had chosen not to bring legal action over "derogatory language" and a non-consensual kiss while working at a major French studio. "I'm even thinking about quitting gaming to find better working conditions," the developer added. kf-amp-gc/tgb/rl
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Former Ubisoft bosses on trial in France over alleged harassment
Three former top executives from French video game giant Ubisoft, the maker of "Assassin's Creed" and "Far Cry", went on trial on Monday accused of psychologically and sexually harassing employees for nearly a decade. The high-profile trial comes after years of controversy over the global gaming industry's treatment of women and minorities in both games and real life. After staff took to social media to accuse the company of a toxic work culture and predatory behaviour by powerful managers, Ubisoft in 2020 launched a probe and announced the departure of several senior executives. The executive shake-up at Ubisoft was hailed by some as a #Metoo moment in the male-dominated video game publishing industry, which has faced criticism in the past for the sexist and misogynistic characters and imagery often found in games. Serge Hascoet, chief creative officer and the company's second-in-command, resigned, while Thomas Francois, vice-president of editorial and creative services, and another senior executive, Guillaume Patrux, were dismissed for serious misconduct. All three men deny the claims. Francois is the focus of the most damning testimonies, which have alleged systemic psychological and sexual harassment at the French giant located in the eastern Paris suburb of Montreuil. Aged between 38 and 46 at the time of the events, Francois is alleged to have habitually watched pornographic films in the open-plan office and commented on the appearance of female employees, whom he routinely insulted. Employees have complained of near daily public humiliation and hazing. In addition to the accusations of sexual and psychological harassment, Francois is being prosecuted for an attempted sexual assault when he tried to forcibly kiss a young employee during a Christmas party as she was held by other colleagues. According to an investigative report seen by AFP, Francois encouraged "his subordinates to act in the same way, using his influence and high hierarchical position within the company to this end." Hascoet, 59, is accused of lewd behaviour and posing intrusive questions of a sexual nature, as well as racist comments and behaviour. Following devastating jihadist assaults in Paris in 2015, he allegedly asked a Muslim employee if she agreed with the ideas of the Islamic State group. The woman had her computer desktop background changed to images of bacon sandwiches and food placed on her desk during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan. The third defendant, former game director Patrux, 39, has been accused of psychological harassment. Investigators have spoken to dozens of witnesses during the probe, but "many refused to file a complaint for fear of reactions from the video game community," according to the report seen by AFP. amb-as/sjw/lth
